VADODARA, Sept 17: Flooding in the city doesn't make headlines anymore. In fact, it is news when the underbridges near the Vadodara Railway Station do not get blocked during the monsoons. Or when several families residing on the banks of the river Vishwamitri do not need to be evacuated to safer places.Year in and year out, if there is something that can be predicted with unerring accuracy, it is the flooding in the city. So, what are the options? Raising the height of the Alkapuri underbridge? Strengthening the existing storm water drains? Constructing a flyover? Providing the families alternative residential sites? Alternatives are many and the expenditure involved is considerable. And yet, there seems to be no ray of hope for the near future.For two days in succession, residents of Vadoadara have been compelled to take a circular route to go from eastern part to the western part of the city and vice-versa. No sooner does it rain, then water gushes in from either side of the Alkapuri underbridge, since its level is the lowest.The storm water drains laid two years ago to tackle the flow of water have buckled under the pressure of the incessant rains. Highly placed sources say that even if the storm water drains' capacity was higher, it wouldn't have helped since the Vishwamitri - where the storm water is supposed to drain out to - is flowing bank to bank.Increasing the height of the underbridge to prevent water from collecting after short spells of rain is practically not possible as this will obstruct the path of larger vehicles, executive engineer (Roads) of the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) M M Patel says, adding that it was out of question to increase height of the bridge's upper portion as in that case railway tracks will have to be altered.While a flyover seems the only viable alternative, according to Patel, he adds that the VMC has no plans in that direction at present. The reason: the area near the Railway Station is already congested. Though plans are afoot to widen the bridge, that will not solve the water-logging problem.At Sanjaynagar in Warasia, Tulsiwadi in Karelibaug and Parshuram Bhatta in Sayajiganj, the situation becomes grim once the water level in Vishwamitri start rising. The slums are illegal and more than 1,000 families stay in Sanjaynagar. Tulsiwadi has 500-odd and Parshuram Bhatta over 300 families.Staying at the places for the past several years, many have even encroached the river-bed. In situation of floods, they agree at the eleventh hour to move in camps set up by the Corporation. Food packets and cash doles are provided. Once the waters recede, they are back to original places.Sources say, although ideally the slum dwellers need to be shifted, on the priority list of the VMC are dwellers staying in the road margin. Sources further say when the VMC constructs houses for the economically backward strata of the society, those blocking the roads are likely to be accorded priority.According to VMC sources, the civic body will not give alternative site as they fall on government land and not VMC land. And even if they are shifted permanently to another place, there are all chances of the places being occupied by others, like the case when the VMC removes slum dwellers from other parts of the city!
